CRITIQUES
President of Estudiantes spoke about the economic distance of Argentine football
Published on November 11, 2024 at 5:58 pm
Juan Sebastián Verón criticized the prizes paid in the Argentine Championship Credit: Disclosure/Estudiantes
Former player Juan Sebastián Verón, current president of Estudiantes, from Argentina, took advantage of Flamengo’s victory in the Copa do Brasil to comment on the disparity in prizes between the two countries. The red and black team from Rio became champion of the tournament this Sunday by beating Atlético-MG 1-0, at Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte.
“And between the World Champions Tournament and the Argentine Cup, they don’t even cover bus costs for fans,” commented Verón. “… But the club belongs to the members”, he concluded, with a tone of irony.
Flamengo accumulated R$93.1 million in the Copa do Brasil title campaign. The club raised R$19.6 million from the third phase to the semi-final, and was awarded another R$73.5 million for the trophy. The national knockout stage is considered the most profitable tournament in national football.
Current champion of the Argentine League Cup, Estudiantes was awarded US$500,000 (approximately R$2.9 million) by Conmebol, together with the Argentine Football Association (AFA). According to the press in the neighboring country, 70% of the revenue from the final with Vélez Sarsfield, at the Madre de las Ciudades stadium, went to the South American entity.
The prize pool is even smaller when it comes to the Copa Argentina, another important knockout competition played in the country. According to the local press, the amount received by the champion team is approximately 171 million pesos, around US$170 thousand. Converting to reais, it would be around R$985 thousand, a value lower than the R$2.205 million paid by the CBF to the team classified in the third phase of the Copa do Brasil.
